The present invention relates to a structure and a method for constructing trough shaped solar concentrators. The structural elements and method of constructing concentrating solar trough collectors of this invention is intended to substantially reduce wind loading on these structures.
Commercial prior art trough shaped concentrators have had parabolic cross sections. If these concentrators are constructed with high concentration ratio on the receiving element they tend to be large structures. Parabolic trough structures with aperture widths of 20 to 30 feet are common in the Concentrated Solar Power, CSP, solar electric power generation industry. It is obvious that such large structures present large wind loads. Wind loading puts high demand on the support structures of these concentrators. Support for these large parabolic reflectors must be robust to maintain structural integrity during moderate to high wind. In addition, the reflector material and its support structure must be strong enough to prevent flexing of the reflector and resultant defocusing. This is a common problem for parabolic troughs in the CSP industry. Further, since most trough concentrators must track the suns' movement in at least 1 direction, wind loading imposes requirements for robust tracking mechanisms as well. Wind loading for trough shaped solar concentrators is thus a major problem which the present invention is designed to address and reduce substantially.